What is recorded here

Aberdour Castle is one of Scotland's two oldest datable standing castles, with parts dating from around 1200. The Douglas Earls of Morton kept it as a second home until 1642, then a late 17th-century fire and the 1725 purchase of nearby Aberdour House left the medieval tower mostly collapsed. Today the 17th-century wing still stands roofed beside terraced gardens that look across the Firth of Forth to Edinburgh.

Scotland's National Record of the Historic Environment records Aberdour Castle as Castle (medieval), Sundial (period Unassigned). The official map says its point is accurate as follows: NGR given to the nearest 1m. The record does not by itself mean that the public may enter the place.

Aberdour Castle was built in the 14th century by the Hepburn family, a prominent Scottish noble family. It is important as a well-preserved example of a medieval tower house and as the birthplace of James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, a key figure in the life of Mary, Queen of Scots.

The historic-place record does not grant public access. Check current conditions and ownership before entering land or a building.